Religion in the United States

Terms (p. 217)• Roman Catholics – originated from the teachings of Jesus Christ

– The early Roman Empire spread this religion throughout Europe

• Protestants – disagree with some of the beliefs of the Catholic Church– You can see the word “protest” the name– This Protestants also believe in Christ but separated from the Catholic

Church during the Reformation

• Orthodox – a form of Christianity that developed in Eastern Europe

• Jews – originated from the followers of Abraham and his sons– Follow the Old Testament of the Bible

Statistics – Religious Groups in the U.S.

• Christian: (78.5%) – Protestant (51.3%)– Roman Catholic (23.9%)– Mormon (1.7%)– other Christian (1.6%)

• unaffiliated (12.1%)• none (4%)• other or unspecified (2.5%)• Jewish (1.7%)• Buddhist (0.7%)• Muslim (0.6%)

Religious Persecution

• Persecution - a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religion, race, or beliefs (from dictionary.com)

• Basically, many European governments were trying to unify their country with one religion– Others that did not believe in this religion could

be punished or even killed

Beginnings in American History• Many people came to America in the 17th for “religious

freedom”

• 1620 – Plymouth, Massachusetts (p. 218)– A group of “Puritans” settle in the United States– The Puritans were against the Church of England

• Pennsylvania was settled by the Quakers• Maryland was settled by Roman Catholics

• In seeing these three examples, one can find the beginnings of a strong religious influence in America

Government

• "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States“– From Article Six of the Constitution

• "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof“– 1st Amendment of the Constitution (p. 222)

Does religion and government mix?

• With the drafting of the Constitution, the United States became one of the first countries to enact “freedom of religion”– separation of church and state

• This phrase can often be misleading because many voters may base their decisions on a candidate’s religious views.

Voters

• Every President, with the exception of John F. Kennedy (a Roman Catholic), was raised in a family with affiliations with Protestant Christianity.

• In the 2004 Presidential election, George W. Bush, a Methodist, earned a slim victory over John Kerry– with voters who cited "moral values" (a term among religious voters)

playing an important part in the election (an MSN poll)

• A Gallup Poll released in 2007[48] indicated that 53% of Americans would refuse to vote for an atheist as president

• From the polls we just looked at, we can see that although religion isn’t a requirement to enter political office, but it can affect voters and their decisions in electing the president

Emergence of New Churches in America

• Many African-American slaves were converted to Christianity in the 18th century (p. 218)– Many were treated badly by other white believers– Many blacks started their own churches

• African Methodist Episcopal Church– A large all-black Methodist organization

• There are also many African-American Baptist churches

New Churches (cont.)• Mormons (p. 219)

• Joseph Smith Jr.– Founded the Mormon faith in 1830– Claimed to have spoken to God

• Told him to restore the early Christian faith

• Early Mormons faced much persecution– Moved from New York to Ohio to Illinois– Many Mormons finally settled in Utah under the

leadership of Brigham Young

New Churches (cont.)

• Christian Science (p. 219)

• Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy founded this Church in 1879 (Based on an event in 1866)– Other Christian groups disagree with some of the

beliefs of this Church• One example is the idea of healing through prayer• Christian Scientists do not believe in modern medicine

How Religious is the United States?

• A Gallop survey stated the 41% of Americans regularly go to church services– 15% of French citizens attend– 10% of British citizens attend

• Other polls put this number at 26% or less– From a Harris survey in 2003 and 2006

The Bible Belt• Religious influence is especially strong in the

southern states

The Bible Belt

• The term Bible Belt is used informally by journalists, who suggest that the region allows religion to influence politics, science, and education.

• Many people living in this region are regarded as “conservative”

Radical Groups

• Cult - a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader

• This word is often linked to smaller religious groups

• This term is often used in a negative way

Strange Cults in U.S. History• The People’s Temple (p. 223)

– Founded in 1955 by Jim Jones– Wanted to help the sick, homeless and jobless of all races– His ideas spread greatly in California

• Moved his followers to Guyana in 1974– By 1978 over 900 people lived in Jonestown

• A Congressman, Leo Ryan and journalists came to investigate the community– Many people wanted to leave with Ryan– Security Guards killed Ryan, 3 journalists and another trying to escape

• On November 18th, Jones ordered his members to drink a poison– In all 918 people died– Jones shot himself

• The Branch Davidians– A group formed in 1955

• In 1981, David Koresh became the leader of this movement– Believed the world would soon come to an end– Taught his followers that the U.S. government was an enemy of

the group

• In 1993 the government accused the Davidians of having illegal weapons (Waco, Texas)– Government law enforcement laid siege to their compound for

51 days– They later raided the compound, but Koresh set fire to the

compound– 82 people died in both the fighting and the fire

• “The Manson Family”

• Charles Manson was the leader of this cult– Believed there would be a large-scale race war in

the United States– Manson thought he and his “family” would then

be able to rule the world

• Manson sent many of his followers on a killing spree– 9 people were killed